Aggies likely summon Sumlin for prime SEC gig

COLLEGE STATION – Four years ago I wrote a column pushing Kevin Sumlin, then offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, for the Texas A&M job that went to Mike Sherman.

Four years later, a press conference announcing Sumlin’s hire could be as early as today, as a high-ranking A&M insider told me late Friday night Sumlin is the Aggies’ choice for the gig.

A&M made a late run at Georgia coach Mark Richt, who mulled the offer Friday and turned it down Friday night. It helped that Richt’s athletic director started talking contract extension after news of A&M’s interest in Richt – and vice versa – leaked out late Thursday and Friday morning.

I pushed Sumlin for the job in late 2007 when the Aggies were heading into another season in the Big 12. Such a move would have been a risk, of course, since he hadn’t served as a head coach in college at that point.

The Aggies’ impending entrance into the rugged Southeastern Conference is a whole new ball game, however, and the risk now is hiring a Conference USA coach (Sumlin has spent the last four seasons at Houston) who has no SEC experience. Sherman was going to take some lumps in the SEC, and now Sumlin is going to take some lumps in the SEC – along with the typically tough first-year transition for a coach and his new program no matter the conference.

I remember Sumlin from his A&M tenure as R.C. Slocum’s offensive coordinator for a brief period in 2002 and how Sumlin’s innovation nearly saved Slocum’s job in 2002. Nearly. Slocum was shown the door following a 6-6 finish, and Sumlin wound up at Oklahoma under Bob Stoops.

Sumlin was impressive in his Aggieland stint, no doubt, and any observer figured he was on his way up in the coaching profession. Now, it appears he’s hit the big time, and afforded a chance he once dreamed about as an A&M assistant.

With the added bonus – if that’s the right word – of coaching in the SEC.